For Meta, Connected Glasses Are the Future of Smartphones

Meta (Facebook, Instagram) presented its first prototype of augmented reality and artificial intelligence (AI) glasses on Wednesday, hoping to eventually create a new computing platform for consumers, after personal computers and mobile phones.

Called "Orion," these glasses are equipped with a camera, earbuds, and a voice-controlled AI assistant, similar to the Meta Ray-Ban connected glasses that have been on the market for several years.

But in addition, they feature tiny projectors to display videos, screens, or even people in the form of holograms – all without requiring a headset that isolates the user.

"It's like a time machine," said Mark Zuckerberg, Meta's CEO. "They give you a glimpse of the future, which I think is going to be really exciting."

The billionaire concluded his company's annual presentation of new products with this new device, the only true surprise of the event in Menlo Park, California, Meta's headquarters.

He recounted how, ten years ago, he assembled a team to create wireless, lightweight glasses (weighing less than 100 grams), capable of projecting images that are sharp, bright, and large enough to fit any use and environment, without hindering visual contact with people physically present.

To interact with the various functions, users will use voice commands and hand gestures, but also potentially thoughts, thanks to wrist sensors.

"There needs to be a device that allows signals to be sent from the brain," the CEO emphasized. "This is the first device powered by our neural interface on the wrist."

Post-Smartphone World

The founder of Facebook rebranded the social media giant as "Meta" in late 2021 to signal a shift toward the metaverse, his vision of the future of the internet and computing, where real and virtual worlds would blend through augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) devices.

Since then, Quest VR headsets have followed one another, and the Ray-Ban connected glasses have gained more AI capabilities, but the metaverse has not (yet) captured the general public's interest.

Mark Zuckerberg's obsession has frustrated investors, as Meta’s Reality Labs division loses billions of dollars every quarter.

"The hype around the metaverse is over," acknowledged Vishal Shah, Meta's vice president in charge of the metaverse, during a roundtable with journalists on Wednesday.

"And I’m very happy about that because when there’s so much media hype, it’s hard to live up to those expectations," he continued.

He reminded that these are long-term investments and explained that, beyond the technologies, his teams are primarily focused on recreating as much as possible the feeling of presence among a group of people, in their physical absence, since it’s not always possible to travel.

Even though remote meetings via screens or holograms "cannot replace" face-to-face conversations.

Unlike headsets, which remain bulky, glasses have a chance of being widely adopted, according to Jeremy Goldman from the consulting firm eMarketer.

Orion "represents Meta’s bet on a post-smartphone world," commented the analyst.

Everything will depend, according to him, on the glasses' ability to truly simplify users' daily lives, and also on their price.

"If Meta plays its cards right, especially with the integration of real-time AI, these glasses could become much more than just a flashy gadget," he added.

Source :AFP